Renowned for their size and fragrance, roses from southwest China's Yunnan Province have become a sensation in Japan, attracting competitive bidding in its largest wholesale flower market, the Ota Market in Tokyo.
Each week, the market has two or three imports of these Chinese roses, with shipments now often exceeding 10,000 stems, catering to an increasingly appreciative consumer base.
"These roses from Yunnan can grow such big in just one year. They are noticeably larger than Japanese varieties, which is one of their distinctive features," said Jun Shishido, a manager at a floral wholesale company.
At the Ota Market, the auction for Yunnan roses is dynamic, with one purchase done in nearly every five seconds after an offer is started. Following the auction, secondary wholesalers will quickly distribute the flowers to various flower shops across Tokyo.
"Our export volume has increased bit by bit. We started with 8,000 stems a day at the beginning. Today, we delivered 15,000, and last Friday we even delivered 30,000. Starting December, they require 90,000 stems daily," said Wang Zhenhua, a Chinese floral trader.
A flower shop in Tokyo, operating for over 60 years, began selling Yunnan roses this year. One stem of the fresh roses, which are shipped from Yunnan to Tokyo within 24 hours after they are picked, sell in the shop for 400 yen (about 2.6 U.S. dollars).
"These roses are very pretty. I believe this type of rose is perfect to express one's emotions and ideas," said a Japanese buyer.
Other flowers that roses from China, such as calla lilies and carnations, are also winning more and more Japanese consumers with their high quality and cost-effectiveness. Data show that from January to September this year, Japan imported 237 million fresh cut flowers from China, ranking the first in the source of imported flowers.
Roses from Yunnan thrive in Japanese market
A new train route from Harbin to Mohe in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is offering tourists a unique cultural experience as part of China's booming winter tourism services.
Harbin and Mohe are two prominent winter tourist destinations in China. Harbin is home to the world's largest snow theme park, Ice and Snow World, which features intricate ice and snow sculptures and landscapes spanning one million square meters. Mohe, China's northernmost city, offers unique experiences, including encounters with forest reindeer and sightings of the breathtaking Northern Lights.
This year, the train journey between Harbin and Mohe offers a unique and memorable experience for tourists, providing a thrilling lag to their winter adventure. The train departs Harbin every day at 18:20, winding its way through the snow-covered landscapes of northeast China. The 18-hour ride is a celebration of the region's rich culture, immersing passengers in the vibrant traditions and customs of the area.
Travelers can enjoy the live performances of Yangge, a song-and-dance duet popular in the Northeast of China, and are even invited to join in to fully enjoy the lively and warm atmosphere. The ornaments and cushions on the train with distinctive local style ooze the generous, warm-hearted, and humorous spirit of the region.
Tourists from across China are flocking to experience the unique cultural journey offered by the new train route. Liu Huixing, a tourist from Changsha, Hunan Province, expressed her enthusiasm for the trip.
"We are from Hunan's Changsha, and we will stay in Heilongjiang for seven days. The shows tonight were amazing, very joyful, we also participated, and loved it so much," she said.
"The activities offer tourists from southern China a special experience. In this way, they can enjoy northeast China's culture before they arrive at Mohe City. And our train is very popular," said Shi Lei, the conductor of the train.
The unique offerings of the train complements local attractions and have made the Harbin-to-Mohe route a key driver of Heilongjiang's winter tourism boom.
Over 87 million tourist trips were made to Harbin between November 2023 and February 2024, generating revenue of 125 billion yuan (about 17 billion U.S. dollars), the highest in its history up to last year.
China's central government has also set goals that by 2027, the total value of winter tourism should reach 1.2 trillion yuan (about 164 billion U.S. dollars), and by 2030, increase to 1.5 trillion yuan (about 206 billion U.S. dollars).
The Asian Winter Games to be held in Harbin in February 2025 will make winter tourism even more popular in China.
China's northeast region sees surge in winter tourism with new train route
